August 2007
When I told my mother I was moving to Argentina, she burst into tears!  Thereafter I received concerned emails; did I have running water, and electricity! Funny, people's perceptions of South America; whilst undoubtedly there are some undeveloped areas of the economy....bad roads, with no white lines or lights, power cuts when the wind blows, but for the most part, especially in the towns and cities, Argentina is pretty much 21st century. And nowhere is this more true than in Las lenas, arguably the biggest and swishest 'resort' in Latin America.

Valle de Las Leñas is situated on the North-South point of the Cordillera de Los Andes middle zone, inside the department of Malargüe, in Mendoza province.  The valley has a temperate climate  - average temperatures are 16 degrees-(60.8º F) (it averages 23 degrees-(73.4º F) in summer) and a low humidity index (the annual rain average is around 1.000 mm, most of it snow).

A deep blue sky, no clouds for most of the year and a dry weather protects the massifs and allows the development of great snow masses and glaciers at high levels, even during the summer. This is an exceptional location for winter sports, (the US, Swiss and French national ski teams practice here in the northern hemsipshere summer). The resort opened in 1983 and now boasts 3047 beds making it one of the biggest and most prestigious hotel complexes in Latin America.

Last month the slopes opened for the 2007 season.  Unlike in previous years, when the opening day was free, skiing had to be paid for from day one, and the slopes were uncharasteritically free of the crowds.

Only 75 years ago skiing was an elitist pursuit practised by a few privileged people, rich and royal, on the European Alps. Now it’s a world-wide endeavour, enjoyed by millions in places as diverse and unlikely as India and Mexico. For the snow bum it’s a way of life, for the athlete a serious sport. Needless to say it generates millions of dollars in revenue for the tourism industry and manufacturing sector.

Its’ history goes back further than a mere century however. Scandinavians used rudimentary skis as a means of transport as far back as 2000bc. Skis helped the hunter-gatherer get around in the long winters and Norwegian cave paintings depict early man on long slats hunting elk. The oldest ski in existence is the 2,500-year-old Holig ski, unearthed from a Scandinavian peat bog. The Vikings realised the ski race was a great opportunity for a spot of gambling. Icelandic legends worshipped those skilled on skis. It was a talent highly valued by the arctic aristocracy. In the saga of Kalevala, a Finnish epic, the hero skied so fast his ski pole smoked. Skiing was even enjoyed by the Gods. An Icelandic poem tells the tale of the Goddess Shadi abandoning her God husband Njord to go skiing – the first known case of a ski widower. And then there was the gliding Finns, famous for skiing into battle and beating all before them - a feat they repeated on the Russians a millennia later in World War II.

Early skiing was not as graceful as it is now. Back then they only used one stick and the skis were shorter and broader. One method, called stick riding, more resembled a witch on a broomstick. The rider used the pole in the rear, sticking it in the snow and leaning, then turning if he wanted to stop; hardly elegant.

Modern skiing can be traced back to 19th Century Norway. Mountain farmers in the Telemark region, notably the national hero Sondre Norheim, improved the tools and perfected the method. He invented a better ski foothold, adding a heel trap. This allowed the rider to turn and manoeuvre and take to the air. One pole became two and the skis became longer with a narrow middle, allowing the wood to flex when turned on a bend. Now a skier could thunder down a slope, zig-zagging and leaping with quick precise movements and then suddenly, stop.

In 1868, a demonstration of the new Telemark method caused a sensation in the Norwegian capital Christiana. Then in 1888, the Norwegian explorer Fridjtof Nansen crossed Greenland on skis. His book On Skis Over Greenland spread the word. His countryman Roald Amundsen trekked the whole way to the South Pole, beating the doomed Scott, largely because of his skillful use of skis.

Soon the popularity of skiing began to spill out of Scandinavia. Many Norwegian Telemarkers emigrated to the United States, including the father of Telemark skiing Sondre Norheim (to the flatlands of North Dakota of all places). Some took their skis with them. Skiing became an important means of transport in the mining communities of the western states. One John “Snowshoe” Thomson became famous for delivering mail on skis between Nevada and California.

It was in the European Alps however that skiing next took off. Hotel owners realised they could lenghten the tourist season if they offered skiing in the winter to their well-to-do guests. An Austrian Mathias Edarsky introduced techniques such as “the plough” to reduce speed and make it easier for beginners to learn. The British introduced the concept of racing in 1911. The Swiss built the first cable car expressly for skiing in 1928. Four years later one Gerhard Muller from Zurich patented a rope tow run by a motorcycle engine. The first chair lift came along in 1936.

Early movies like White Ecstasy publicised skiing and gave it a certain glamour. Writers like Ernest Hemingway took to the slopes enthusiastically and wrote about it. It soon became a major Olympic sport. Resorts began to appear in such places as Maine and the Rockies in the United States. Technology made the equipment easier and safer to use. Indeed snowfall no longer became a necessity with the introduction of machines that made snow and groomed the slopes. The ski craze had begun in earnest.

One of Las Lenas's greatest assets is its accessibility:  there are direct flights, (one and a half hours flying time) from Buenos Aires Aeroparque (internal airport) to Malargue, which is approximately 80 km and an hour's bus ride from the resort.  You can also take a scheduled flight to San Rafael and then travel the 206 km by car or bus up to the resort.  Note however, that if you were to chose the aeroplane route, if you are a foreigner you will pay 150% more for the cost of your flight than an Argentinian would. This dual pricing system is something you need to be aware of with regards to prices of hotels, ski passes etc.  From the United States and the rest of America and Europe, you can take scheduled flights to Buenos Aires, and take possible connections to Malargue or San Rafael.   During the high season - July/August, there are direct flights from Sao Paulo, in Brazil, to Malargue.

By car:
Las Leñas is the nearest Ski resort to Buenos Aires, and is close enough to enjoy a long weekend's skiing. 
The journey takes approximately 11 hours.
- From Buenos Aires, take Road 7 till Junín.
- From there, take Road 188 till General Alvear and then Road 143 till San Rafael.
- Finally, take Road 144 till reaching el Sosneado, get to Las Leñas Valley through Road 222 (20 km after passing Los Molles)

If you choose to drive, be cautious...in Europe and the States we are used to having the roads to our top ski resports cleared and made passable for cars. Here however, if there has been a recent snowfall the roads up to the resort may not be clear and unless you have a top of the range swanky 4x4 you will need snow chains probably within 10km or so from joing the 222 Las Lenas Valley Road.  Your travel agent probably won't think to tell you this, or that if you do drive, without a 4X4, you will not be allowed into the resort unless you have snow chains.  It did not cross our minds until we reached El Sosneado, about 100kms from the resort.  There you will go through a police check; it was only then, with our limited Spanish, that we picked up the words 'snow chains' but decided to set off to las Lenas anyway, only to have to turn back and drive to Malargue some 40km distant.  Snow chains can be found at the ski hire shops...for sale or hire.    Someone will show you how to fit them...they cost 190pesos (appr. $60) to buy, although if you are just doing one trip, hiring is maybe a better option.  Before you leave the shop, make sure you have the right chains. We had ours sized and it wasn't until we got 20km up the 222 and needed the chains that we found the man in the shop had given us the wrong ones!!!Only alternative...back to Malarque to change them!  If you hire a car in San Rafael or Malargue, you can request snow chains from the hire company.  Also note, if you are driving from San Rafael, the last place for petrol is El Sosneado...there is a petrol station just before you enter the resort at Las Lenas, but as we found to our peril, sometimes it's empty!! So don't rely on it. This is Argentina after all!

The resort itself is very well organised...as you arrive,  your car details are recorded by a security guard; you are then given an hour to drive to your accommodation, unload your car and check in. Within the hour you must go back to the entrance of the resort and park your car where directed.  For this we paid 105pesos  for 3 days (appr. $35/day -again, something our travel agent didn't tell us about), but for your money your car is insured aginst accident or damage whilst in the resort.

Skis/boots etc can be hired or purchased in San Rafael, Malargue or at the resort..it's cheaper to hire in San Rafael...the average daily rate for boots and skis is 47pesos per day..(it's double the price in Las lenas).  Salopettes, jackets etc can all be hired per day also.  At the resort there are workshops in the resort for mending and tuning skis.

Las Lenas is stunning in the sunshine and snow...covering an area of 17,500 hectares inluding on track and off track sectors,  there are 27 ski and snowboard slopes divided into beginners (green), intermediate (blue), advanced (red) and expert (black) runs.  Everywhere there is evidence of the resort's concentration on safety..with paramedics constantly on site, sniffer dogs,  maintenace and lift workers, and resort staff who are always ready with help and advice.  There is a large Ski and Snowboard academy, with over 120 instructors, for group or individual lessons, plus a ski school for kids.

Each morning as you sit having breakfast, you can see the snow ploughs and machines smoothing out the pistes and the maintenance people checking the working of the lifts; you can watch the staff skiers checkout the slopes before they open for the day, usually at about 0845.  Most of the lifts then close at 5.30pm, although some of those going to the higher elevations will close early so that there is time for the last skiers to race downhill before everything shuts for the night.  Listen out for the whistles...that is signal for skiing down to the base.  There are three mountainside restuarants and many more at the base of the slopes - and they never seem to be crowded. 
 

There are five hotels...ranging from 5 star down to two, plus aparthotels and dormy self-catering houses perfect for families and children.
We stayed at the 4 star Eskorpia hotel which is right at the base of the slopes..you merely had to got to the ski room, put on your ski boots...warmed overnight by the bootwarmer, slip on your skis and slide down the slope straight to the lift.  At the end of the day your skis are collected, labelled with your room number and your boots are put on the warmer to dry...all you had to do was go to your room and slip into a hot bath!   The service was excellent and the food of a very high standard.  You will find English speaking staff in most of the hotels and in the ski schools.  If you get tired of skiing, there's always the cinema, shopping mall, spa facilities in the hotels, a nightclub and casino - and nowwhere less than a few steps away from your accpmmodation.

For an idea of cost we paid US$1,000 for three people, for two nights and three days skiing .....this included breakfast and dinner, ski passes for three days. (This also included accident insurance).  You do have to check out of your hotel by 1000am but your baggage is looked after for you while you spend your last few hours perfecting your style.  It is probably best to get down the slope to the main road before dark, especially when the roads are icy.

My only crticism, is that snowboarders and skiiers do not have separate slopes.  If, like me, you are a novice skier, standing at the top of a very steep hill, (with your husband saying "Remember there's no such thing as a steep slope",) a snowboarder looking like an out of control slug zooming by, is very disconcerting!